This invention relates generally to controls for electric range ovens, and, more particularly, to interactive control displays for oven ranges.
Electronic, touch sensitive, glass control interfaces are becoming increasingly popular in modern range ovens to control a variety of cooking elements, including but not limited to a bake element and a broil element in a cabinet cooking cavity. Known electronic controls have facilitated oven features and modes of baking operation not found in conventional mechanically controlled ranges. Known control interfaces to implement these features, however, tend to be cumbersome and difficult to new users, and tedious and time consuming for other users.
For example, some oven operations and features require rather complex manipulation of a control interface that includes a large number of selectors for a large number of oven options. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,972. These types of interfaces can be overwhelming to new users and less than intuitive even to experienced users. Simplified control interfaces have been developed that are more user friendly and logically operated by prompting user selection of inputs that complete a grammatical instruction sentence. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,180. While effective for relatively simple baking functions, more advanced oven features and options are not easily accommodated by such systems.
In one aspect, a user interface for an oven including at least one heating element is provided. The interface comprises a reconfigurable display for indicating a plurality of oven control options and a plurality of selectors adjacent said display for user selection of said options. Each of said selectors correspond to one of said options indicated in said display, and a processor is configured to operate said display in response to manipulation of said plurality of selectors with selection specific menus and to control the heating element according to inputs obtained through said selection specific menus.
In another aspect, a user interface for an oven including at least one baking element is provided. The user interface comprises a processor, a reconfigurable display coupled to said processor, and a plurality of input selectors positioned adjacent said display. The processor is configured to display a HOME menu and selection specific menus in response to operator manipulation of said plurality of input selectors, and also is configured to operate the baking element in response to selected options of said selection specific menus.
In another aspect a user interface for an oven including at least one baking element is provided. The interface comprises a processor configured for coupling to the baking element, a first set of input selectors coupled to said processor, and a first display coupled to said processor, said first display reconfigurable to display selection specific menus in response to user manipulation of said first set of input selectors. A second display is coupled to said processor, and a second set of input selectors is coupled to said processor for entering information into said second display. The processor is configured to display a HOME menu and selection specific menus in said first display in response to operator manipulation of said plurality of input selectors, accept cooking cycle inputs from manipulation of said second set of input selectors, and operate the at least one baking element in response to manipulation of said first and second sets of input selectors.
In another aspect, a method for interfacing user instructions to an oven including a reconfigurable option display, a plurality of input selectors adjacent the option display, and a processor coupled to said display and to said input selectors is provided. The method comprises presenting a HOME menu on said display, presenting one of a plurality of selection specific submenus in response to manipulation of the input selectors, and accepting operator selected control inputs in response to at least some of said selection specific submenus.
In another aspect, a method for controlling operation of an oven including a reconfigurable display, a plurality of input selectors adjacent the display, and a processor coupled to the display and to the input selectors is provided. The method comprises presenting a HOME menu on said display, the HOME menu including a first set of options, and each of said options in the first set adjacent one of the input selectors. The method further comprises presenting a first selection specific submenu in response to manipulation of an input selector adjacent one of the options of the home menu, the first selection specific menu including a second set of options. Each of the options in the second set is adjacent one of the input selectors, and the second set of options is different from said first set of options.
In still another aspect, a method for controlling operation of an oven including a reconfigurable display adapted for multi-column display of option menus, a plurality of input selectors arranged on each side of the display corresponding to one of the menu options, a processor coupled to said display and to said input selectors, and a memory coupled to said processor is provided. The memory is loaded with option menus, cooking parameters and control algorithms, and the method comprises presenting a HOME menu on said display, the HOME menu including a first set of options. A first selection specific submenu is presented in response to manipulation of an input selector adjacent one of the options of the home menu, the first selection specific menu including a second set of options different from said first set of options and including at least a BACK option. A second selection specific submenu is presented in response to manipulation of an input selector adjacent one of the options of the first selection specific submenu, the second selection specific submenu including a third set of options different from said second set of options and including at least a HOME option and a BACK option. Selection specific submenus are repeatedly presented in response to user manipulation of the input selectors, each of the submenus including a HOME option and a BACK option. A cooking algorithm is executed based upon the selected options.